How to Turn Pumpkin Scraps Into Natural Fertilizer, According to Gardening Experts

Pumpkin is a healthy food for humans and pets, and your plants can benefit from it too. This autumn gourd contains vitamin E, zinc, iron, and potassium, all of which are vital for healthy plant development, making it the perfect fertilizer.

Once you take down your pumpkin décor, you can then recycle any Jack-o'-lanterns to add vitality to your yard. Here, we spoke to experts about how to incorporate this unexpected item into your fall garden.

Benefits

Pumpkins are full of vitamins and minerals that can be very beneficial.

“These nutrients, like potassium, phosphorus, and boron, are known to encourage blooming in plants,” says Lotte Brendsen, a plant and garden expert at PlantIn. So if you have flowering shrubs that are struggling to bloom, adding pumpkin fertilizer can give them the boost they need.

Plants that thrive on high organic matter and balanced nutrients can also benefit from a pumpkin-based fertilizer.

“Leafy greens—like lettuce, kale, and spinach—respond strongly to the nitrogen released from decomposed pumpkin flesh, which drives chlorophyll production and leaf growth,” says Lauren Click, founder and executive director of Let’s Go Compost.

Lastly, fruit-bearing crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers like the phosphorus and potassium. These nutrients stimulate not only root establishment, but also flowering and fruit development.

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How to Make It

Ready to get started? Follow these steps to make fertilizer from pumpkin scraps.

• Remove all non-organic material. Before cutting up your old pumpkins or jack-o'-lanterns, make sure to remove all non-organic material. For example, get rid of any non-biodegradable candle wax.
• Remove seeds. Berendsen recommends removing any seeds from the pumpkin, as they can sometimes sprout in the compost bin. If you like, you can turn the pumpkin seeds into a nice fall snack, or use them to plant pumpkins next year.
• Cut up the pumpkins. “Chopping up the pumpkin will help it break down quickly,” says Click. “You can get pretty creative with this. Many cities and farms host pumpkin smash events where you can bring your jack-o'-lanterns to demolish on November 1.” She’s seen everything from catapults to cartoonishly large hammers. Either way, breaking the pumpkin into smaller bits can help speed up the compost process and prevent rotting.
• Throw the scraps into the compost bin. There, the pumpkin will release its nutrients as it degrades. Click recommends layering your pumpkin scraps with dry leaves, grass clippings, or shredded paper to balance carbon and nitrogen. Turn the pile every few weeks to aerate.

How to Use It

Once your pumpkin compost is fully mature (dark, crumbly, and earthy-smelling), it’s ready to use in your yard.

“The goal is to treat compost less like a quick-acting chemical fertilizer and more like a soil conditioner that steadily improves the health of your growing environment,” says Click.

Spread 1 to 2 inches of compost across your garden or yard’s soil surface in early spring. Then, lightly mix it into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil before planting. This ensures the nutrients are within reach of young roots, says Click.

You can place the pumpkin fertilizer around trees and shrubs, too. Simply apply compost in a wide ring around the drip line (or the outer edge of the tree canopy), keeping it a few inches away from the trunk. “This improves moisture retention and root vigor," says Click. Never pile compost directly against plant stems or tree trunks, as this can burn or harm the plants.

For lawns and grasses, add pumpkin scraps sparingly. Sprinkle a thin layer (about 1/2 inch) over the surface as a top dressing, says Click. Water lightly afterward to help the compost filter down into the soil. Finally, for container gardens, mix the compost with potting soil in a 1:3 ratio, or add a small handful to the surface of each pot every few months.